The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-10-27
HIS FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
Geo. Church Gives Much Interesting Informa-
tion 40 to the Resources and Prog.
reDs Of Dakota.
Railway Constfa action, Agricultural Develop.
ment the Public School System Among the
Topics Discussed.

WASHINGTON. Special Telegram, OCT. 21.-
The annual report Of Lewis Z. Church, gov
ernor Of Dakota, was received at th e inte-
rior department to-day. It 10 116 legal cap
pages in length and wa tied with one and
Dne-half yards of blue ribbon. It lie written
In typewriter on several different styles Of
paper and is the best report OF the resources
Of any territory yet fled in tho interior de-
partment He starts his report by saying: d.
The territory has had another year Of wonder.
ful growth In population and wealth. The re-
ports from all sections tell Of . decided increase
Of immigration as compared with the same date
pf last year, and that the rush Of new comersh has
kept well up to the average Of previous seasons.
As q matter Of course. the localities along the
large areas OF the public domain subject to en-
try under the homestead and presumption laws
are receiving the greatest number Of settlers.
The report states that 2,O67,281 acres Of
land were newly filed on, 1856, 672 acres
were acquired by final proof and cash entry,
and 1887 acres were purchased by land
scrip. There has been a large immigration
during the year to the Deadwood, Devils
Lake and Bismarck districts, where the re-
port states much of the public lands remain
unsurveyed. The area of ansurveyed land
taken up but not filed on during the
year is estimated to be about 200, 600 acres,
while the sale of lands to settlers
by the Northern Pacific railway and by pri-
vate owners during the same period is esti-
mated to be about 4OO, 900 acres. The gov
ernor estimates that the grand total of lands
newly filed on and purchased by immigrants
for the year closely approximates the sum
OF 2,667,2S1 acres, or 4,16S miles square,
IAN area" continues the report, aquite
tour times greater than Rhode ISL
and, about three times that of Della
ware, or nearly that contained within the
contained within the boundaries of the State
Of Connecticut. The vacant area now open
to settlement is stated tt contain %, ST.
40 acres distributed as follows: Aberdeen
district, 6O2, 1913; Bismarck, 14,2S1, 600;
Deadwood, 5,S7S.44 Devils Lake, 1882
296; Fargo, 281, $50; Grand Forks, 5000;
Huron, $4,000; Mitchell, $500; Water
town, 112.625; Yankton, 5000!
III POPULATION OF DAKOTA
is given as 56S Az, q gain during the year
of 6S,477. The governor states that the
large proportion of the foreign immigrants
are Canadians, and the vast numbers which
have crossed the international boundary line
shave fairly startled that country, and the
matter of loss Of population through enigra-
ton to Dakota has become a subject of in
quiry by the provincial government" The
governor says that real estate has ap-
preciated rapidly, and that if in
vestors hope to pick up any
bargains they must come early. The
governor passes rapidly through MI: Ray
mond's report of assessment and valuation
in the territory and says:
I predict that when Dakota is . state her
8 per cent bonds will sell more rapidly than the
419 per cent did. Nevertheless this Is the first
time in the history Of the United States that .
territorial bono has sold for less than
proof that her credit Ia better
than many Of the states and rich municipal
tiles of the East. Even st. Paul. with all her
cent bonds about the same time at 1900 per
cent less premium than territorial bonds.
The report treats Of railroad improve
ments at length, giving the work done by
each company, and the following table of
constructions: q
Lamoure to Edeerly, FL; st. Paul, Minneapolis
& Manitoba. Minot west. $50; Rugby Junction
to Bottineau. 40; Park River to Langden, 40:
ssso, Milxsa sfssA ! s. ss''ni Paul. Bristol Ssai
to Lake Preston este Is; Wilmct extension.
Fea,t sos'e e. asi esaSss0 Il 4 S SesnGea e
Groton. IA: Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri VAL
ley, Rapid City to Sturgis, rs: Minneapolis &
Pacific. Ransom to Monage, SO, Total newly
constructed roads In 1887, III miles.
The agricultural development of the ter
ritory receives generous consideration, each
particular crop being discussed with inter-
esting data The following table is given: